Judge forces Bill Cosby's wife Camille to testify in civil case against him
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Version 0 of 1. Bill Cosby’s wifewill be forced to testify in a civil case against her husband filed by seven women who said the entertainer defamed them. A federal magistrate judge in Massachusetts has rejected arguments by Camille Cosby, who has been married to the entertainer for almost 52 years and has also been his business manager, that the deposition would represent an “undue burden.” Related: The Bill Cosby sexual abuse claims – 57 women and the dates they went public The deposition is scheduled for 6 January and will be the first time she has answered questions under oath since scores of women came forward with sexual abuse allegations against her husband. Last week Bill Cosby, 78, was charged in Pennsylvania in the only criminal case brought against the actor, who has been accused by more than 50 women of sexually abusing them in incidents dating back decades. Cosby is free on $1m bail, and his lawyer has said the entertainer is not guilty and will not consider a plea bargain. Cosby, who exemplified the model family man in his long-running hit television series The Cosby Show, was charged with aggravated indecent assault, which carries a maximum penalty of five to 10 years in prison. The charge stems from accusations by Andrea Constand, 44, a former basketball team manager at Temple University in Philadelphia, Cosby’s alma mater. She settled a civil case against Cosby for an undisclosed sum in 2006. The Massachusetts civil lawsuit against Cosby was filed in December 2014 by Tamara Green, later joined by six other women, who contend that Cosby sexually assaulted or abused them, that each publicly accused Cosby, and Cosby responded by calling the women liars, thus defaming them, court documents said. In his ruling on New Year’s Eve, US magistrate judge David Hennessy also rejected arguments by Camille Cosby that she lacked any first-hand knowledge of the events at issue, and that the court should protect her from “unnecessary harassment” by limiting the scope of the subpoena. Lawyers for Bill Cosby plan to appeal Hennessy’s ruling, according to the New York Times. Bill Cosby has sent a Twitter message to fans saying: “Friends and fans, Thank You.” Some responded with messages of support, noting he was innocent until proven guilty. Others showed scorn, asking: “What about the victims?” and “What ’fans’?” |